The present invention relates generally to paperboard food containers and more particularly to a combination food and condiment container for use primarily in serving fast food products such as french fries, chicken nuggets, fish and the like.
Paperboard food containers are well known in the fast food industry and have been manufactured in a variety of configurations for specific food products. Nevertheless, certain general characteristics of these containers have become functional beyond merely holding the food products. For example, it is desirable that such containers are collapsible so that they can be folded flat for shipping. Meanwhile, when the containers are partially or fully open, they should be stable and capable of being nested one within the other. In addition, when opened, such containers should be capable of being used as a scoop for picking up food products. And finally, since many of the food products served in such containers are ordinarily eaten with condiments such as catsup, tarter sauce, or the like, it is desirable to include within or attached to the container a space or provision for keeping condiments.
Prior art examples of containers that satisfy these criteria include U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,528 which discloses what is essentially a scoop type carton with two internal compartments, one for the food product and the other for the condiment; U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,210 which discloses a combination beverage cup with an attached side pouch for food; and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,364 which discloses a scoop type carton with an externally attached collapsible shelf for supporting a condiment substance, i.e., catsup in a cup. Nevertheless, none of these prior art attempts fully satisfy the purposes of a combination food product and condiment container as accomplished by the present invention.